and that would still leave an $800 billion deficit. we can not tax away the deficit. gregg: sure we can. we can do the value-added tax. >> well, and that's what worries me. if we don't cut spending, spending right now, the federal government is the largest it has ever been as a share of our economy. it takes up more of our economy than ever, the only way to pay for it is to put in a european-style value-added tax. which means every american, everyone, the lower income, the middle income, the high income, would pay, say 20% on every item they purchase, every item, to the federal government. that is what the europeans do to afford these big governments. gregg: what would it do? >> say that again? gregg: what would it do? >> that, that what would happen is, we were turn into europe. we all see it. we see greece, and spain and italy, and france. they all grow slow of the they have extremely high unemployment rates. we would have a slow economy and high unemployment forever if we taxed ourselves like that. gregg: all right. >> this idea that somehow you can't tax the middl